Preview: Galaxy put 11-game unbeaten run on line vs. Fire

The LA Galaxy put their league-best unbeaten streak on the line when they welcome the Chicago Fire to The Home Depot Center on FOX Soccer Night in America. The Galaxy haven’t lost in 11 league games, coming off a scoreless draw with Seattle Sounders FC on July 4. The Fire are making a return trip to The Home Depot Center after playing to a league-high 12th draw of the season in their last match, a 1-1 tie with Chivas USA.

A second-half goal from Omar Gonzalez gave the Galaxy a 2-1 victory against the Fire on April 17 at Toyota Park in the first meeting between the clubs.

The Fire have come away with victories on two of their last three visits to The Home Depot Center to take on the Galaxy, winning 3-2 in a wild affair last year, and also winning 1-0 in 2008.

The Fire last defeated the Galaxy on their Toyota Park home ground in 2008, a 3-1 win on Sept. 25. The Galaxy won in 2009 on their lone trip to Bridgeview; then after a draw last year, the Galaxy won this season.

The Galaxy took the lead in the 42nd minute through Chad Barrett. Miguel Lopez crossed a ball in from the right, finding Barrett completely wide open at the penalty spot, and the former Fire striker calmly took a touch before slotting his shot inside the left post and past goalkeeper Jon Conway. WATCH

Omar Gonzalez doubled the lead for the visitors in the 72nd minute, rising above the Fire defense to head home a Lopez corner kick. WATCH

Dominic Oduro pulled one back with his first goal in a Fire uniform in the 89th minute, rounding Gonzalez in the box before blasting an angled shot past 'keeper Donovan Ricketts and inside the far post. WATCH

Brian Perk made his MLS debut in goal and was quickly put to the test when Osvaldo Alonso’s shot on goal bounced off defender Omar Gonzalez’s arm. But Perk guessed correctly on the resulting penalty by Fredy Montero, diving to his right to parry the ball away for the first save of his league career. WATCH

Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller also made two saves on the night to record the shutout, both in the second half, the biggest in the 68th minute when he denied a curling shot from Juan Pablo Angel.

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made four changes to the team that reached a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium. Brian Perk started in goal for the injured Donovan Ricketts, Sean Franklin came into the back four for Gregg Berhalter, Landon Donovan started in midfield for Michael Stephens and Chad Barrett started up top for Miguel Lopez.

The Galaxy extended their undefeated streak to 11 games (5-0-6), longest in MLS this season and the fifth longest in club history, despite being shut out in back-to-back games for the first time in 2011.

“It was a weird game. It’s not often that you start a game with one of your DPs on the bench, your third-string goalie and within a half-hour you have to take off one of your center backs,” Landon Donovan said.

Goalkeeper Brian Perk, making his MLS debut, became just the second goalkeeper in league history to record the first save of his career on a penalty (also: Matt Napoleon, of Miami, vs. KC’s Paul Rideout, Aug. 23, 1998).

“It’s nice to know he can play. We have three great goalkeepers. … We didn’t throw a player into the game that’s going to run around like his head is chopped off. I think the game he got last week in Open Cup was good for him and obviously, playing tonight at home makes it a little easier for him,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “All I can say he’s a ‘keeper we can put in there and be successful.”

After AJ DeLaGarza was forced to leave the game in the 24th minute when he was caught in the face with a high boot, his partner in central defense, Omar Gonzalez, was also forced to leave the game, suffering a left hip pointer. He was replaced by Bryan Jordan with Sean Franklin moving to central defense and Jordan playing right back.

“The first change to AJ [DeLaGarza] was going to have us hampered in the second half. The issue with Omar [Gonzalez], that was difficult,” Arena said. “... I think the adjustments our team made losing two center backs was pretty good.”

Both DeLaGarza and Gonzalez are listed as questionable on the team’s injury report. “We’re really prepared for that,” Arena said. “I think we’re prepared with five players. We have four center backs with Omar, AJ, Gregg and Sean. We’ve done that starting in preseason out. Bryan Jordan has had some time in that position as well.”

They are just the latest in a number of injuries to center backs. Berhalter suffered a knee injury in preseason, able to make his regular-season debut only on June 18. Leonardo started the season at center back, but tore ligaments in his knee in the seventh game of the season and was lost for the year. Rookie Sean Alvarado also suffered a season-ending knee injury.

“It’s strange, but to look at our position in our league, having that many injuries, we’re fortunate,” Berhalter said. “We’re second in goals-against average in the league … so we’re doing some things right. That’s why you train, that’s why you have depth and you work on things. When you’re working on things, it’s not just for the first group, but for everyone so they can see how it’s done.”

David Beckham was able to come on as a substitute after missing two matches despite having a stress fracture in his back.

“I’ve been out for three weeks; haven’t been able to do anything for three weeks. So, it’s good to be able to be back out there again, of course. Obviously I’ve got a week until the next game so it’s going to be a good week,” Beckham said. “ … I didn’t expect to play in this game. I’ve had an epidural and a cortisone injection last week and seemed to react well and took the pain away. Obviously the fracture is still there, but the pain’s died down a bit.”

WARNINGS:SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: David Beckham|SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: Juninho

CHICAGO FIRE

The Chicago Fire once again played to a draw, this time a 1-1 result with Chivas USA on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Fire have 18 points from 18 matches on the year, sitting in a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

LAST MATCH

The Fire opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Patrick Nyarko laid a ball in behind the Chivas USA back line for Dominic Oduro and he simply raced away down the left, clipping the ball past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy from a difficult angle after a 50-yard run. WATCH

But seconds into the second half Chivas USA found their equalizer when Nick LaBrocca turned at the edge of the area and fired a shot that dipped under the crossbar and beat Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson. WATCH

Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park. Logan Pause and Diego Chaves came back into the team, for Daniel Paladini and Orr Barouch.

The Chicago Fire played to a 12th tie this season in their 1-1 result at Chivas USA, now just two away from the single-season MLS record, set by FC Dallas last season.

“We’re really frustrated right now,” Dominic Oduro said. “I think we are doing so well defensively and offensively and right now we just want to win games. ... We’re not losing, but a win would be really nice.”

Since losing three games in a row from April 9-17, the Fire have lost just once in 13 games. However, they’ve also won just once in that time.

We’re happy that we haven’t lost in the past eight games, but it’s bittersweet, since we’ve only won once [in those eight],” goalkeeper Sean Johnson said. “It’s important at this point of the season to pick up points when the opportunity is there, and I think we’ve had opportunities in the last few games where we could have picked up three points, and we’re disappointed to come away short.”

Dominic Oduro tallied his fifth goal of the season, tying him with Marco Pappa for the team lead. Oduro was obtained from the Houston Dynamo after the start of the season.

“I want to say that I’m really disappointed in myself,” Oduro said. “I created a lot of chances and I probably could’ve done more in terms of putting balls in the back of the net.”

With the 12 ties, the Fire have tied the club record for draws in a season, set in 2009. The Fire have not lost a match under interim head coach Frank Klopas.

“It’s a work in progress. I think you can see certain things that have gotten better, but you need to still keep working in the final third, getting opportunities. It’s easy to say, but [we have to] finish more of the chances we get. We make it hard on ourselves sometimes. We need more focus to start the second half,” Klopas said. “But look, we limit opposing teams to one goal, and with the chances we had, we have to be able to put some of those away and get three points.”

Logan Pause returned to the Fire lineup after missing the last two matches with a concussion.